Posted on 12/01/2002 1:23:55 PM PST by BraveMan
What a long way Free Republic has come! From its birth in 1996 as what began as just a place where hardcore conservatives to post the latest news and analyze it, Free Republic two years later had a significant role in the neutralization of the Clintons - as it became the organizing point for enormous protests ridiculing Bill Clinton over Monicagate everywhere he went in the U.S. early in Monicagate throughout 1998. Some top liberals even blame Freepers for Al Gore's defeat.
Very early in Monicagate, Freepers brought Free Republic out of just being a sort of giant cybercafe for dissidents to talk things over - and made it into a very-effective organizing point for giant protests against liberals and liberalism, like the one in Houston at a Clinton fundraiser that not only like most greeted Clinton with hundreds of dissidents ridiculing him for his adultery and perjury, but even found a fire engine to hang a giant sign on that read "Bill Clinton Is A Four-Alarm Fraud." Freepers in Florida hung a giant sign on a cabin cruiser to float in a strategic position just offshore a fundraiser of his there. And here in North Carolina, about 30 Freepers picketed an Al Gore fundraiser in Raleigh's Volvo district in May 1999 - some dressed as Buddhist monks. The Clintons/Gore Regime just couldn't escape the conservatives from hell.
Other liberals were no luckier. The "Rosiecott" that ended Corporate America's willingness to indulge leftist politics was in large part organized on Free Republic. Freeper-organized boycotts were to Rosie O'Donnell's career what a later gay boycott was to advice-talk radio host Dr. Laura's.
But - just six years after its founding, just four years after the height of its power - Free Republic today is largely a total waste of time. As a reader commented, it isn't accomplishing anything anymore - with the giant protests against liberals formerly organized on it by Freepers over; as he agreed last week, the sole positive things it now does are to provide rapid dissemination of news, even from small-town dailies, to dissidents everywhere - and to guide dissidents to the various dissident newspapers that really are hardcore.
Some social issues are almost unmentionable on Free Republic today. More than one Freeper has griped that posted articles on immigration often just disappear. Other Freepers have been just blacklisted from Free Republic - for offending the sensibilities of founder Jim Robinson or the small clique under him that largely actually runs Free Republic now.
Today, Free Republic is every bit as handicapped as founder Jim Robinson - but by another problem. To all too many Freepers now, anyone calling themselves a Republican is God's brother - and cannot be criticized, no matter how Clintonesque their views on many social issues may be. And to all too many Freepers now, Pres. Bush really is God - uncriticizable, no matter what.
To make Free Republic great again, a number of things have to happen. First, all involved - from ordinary Freepers to "JimBob" himself - have to accept that having an (R) next to one's name doesn't make a politician beyond criticism. Second, all involved must also accept that Pres. Bush isn't God. And then, all Freepers must commit to doing again what made Free Republic great - hounding any politician at odds with Red Nation's masses on social issues; if that means picketing Pres. Bush everywhere he goes if he hints at amnesty for illegal aliens or tacit support of racial quotas, that's what it takes.
Free Republic didn't become great by being a Chinese-style "Democracy Wall" for dissidents to post articles from "mainstream" newspapers to and then discuss them. It can only became great again the same way it originally got great.
Yes I did expect more from mine than I did from others. And they haven't dissapointed me either.
We have the President, House and Senate we want. Now we don't care what they do? Right? I can't believe it, but the anser is "yes" for some who call themselves Conservatives.
That is the part that is hard for me to understand. Why people vote and then just sit back I don't know. They won, now is the time to make our feelings know, not sit back and relax.
Immigration out of control from the middle-east? No problem. Immigration out of control on our southern border? No problem. Folks actually try to pass off that they believe this. I know they don't. They couldn't. But they can't be honest enough to admit we have a problem. What a sad time in America this may turn out to be if our opportunity to correct problems passes with no action taken.
The republicans have a golden oppertunity, but they need to deliver while they have it. They have no excuse not to. They have it all. Yea I already hear we don't have a big enough margine in the senate. I guess that will be the excuse dejour untill 2004.
WarHawk42
Yeah, Matt's in the know alright...
Actually, that was less than a month ago, but I guess us inferior and less experienced FReepers don't know any better. So nice to have you important and experienced FReepers around to enlighten us.
Yep. They're no different than the Clinton soccer moms.
It could have been today. He isn't president. I don't have a problem protesting Clinton any time, but there are bigger problems than him. He is history.
WarHawk42
You left out a category for those of us who believe that our president is human, and subject, as we are, to human error. No one is perfect, remember?
Not acceptable. "Altogether" and "already" have been absorbed into the vernacular, but until then - buy a time machine.
Don't feel singled out - I've been doing that to folks here all night - it's my job.
Your POV gets 15 MPH and pollutes the environment, pal.
Maybe you can get Tpaine to protect you from those "wimmin".
Ckinton seemed to cost those he supported more votes than he gained for them. Protest him all you want.
You as interested in what is going on now?
WarHawk42
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